German Home Dreams

Written by Engel & Völkers on 30.7.2016

According to the survey “German Home Dreams 2015” by mortgage provider Interhyp, the main trend in Germany last year was the building of energy-efficient homes in peri-urban areas. The survey focused on the preferences of Germans with regards to home and living. The survey, which was based on a poll of 2,100 German citizens and 50 architects, took a look at the major trends and also asked some detailed questions: What is particularly important to Germans when it comes to home features? What is welcomed, what is considered absolutely essential? By and large, however, the home and living preferences of Germans are quite similar. 74 percent of the survey participants would like to have their own home. Ideally, it should be medium-sized and quiet, but also close to the city.

Home Dreams in Germany

The survey shows just how important the topic of home and living is for Germans. For 95 percent of the survey participants, living in a beautiful home is one of the most important things in life. The only thing that was more important to the survey participants was their health (99 percent). Furthermore, 75 percent of the survey participants would like to own their own home. This value was even higher for survey participants who are parents (88 percent). Apart from this, importance was attached to practical considerations and proximity to nature. While 81 percent of the survey participants want to live close to shops and 77 percent want to live close to medical facilities, 82 percent want green surroundings. In as far as furnishings and amenities are concerned, Germans are relatively modest. Marble bathrooms, saunas or whirlpool baths are not in high demand (this only interests between 12 and 31 percent of the survey participants). On the other hand, 80 percent of the survey participants would like a modern built-in kitchen. As regards essential features, living in green surroundings once again tops the list. 43 percent cannot imagine living in a home without a garden. For 22 percent of the survey participants it is equally important to have energy-saving insulation.

Current Real Estate Trends

Last year, most of the homes built in Germany were single family homes. According to the surveyed architects, 58 percent of contracts were for this type of home. The trend of living close to the city is reflected in the second most common category: 14 percent stated that most of their contracts were for city apartments and eight percent stated that most of their contracts were for town houses. As mentioned before, sustainability also plays a major role. Ten percent of clients asked their architects to design an energy-efficient home. Compared to the previous year, this constitutes a significant increase of eight percent. What is even more impressive is the fact that 98 percent of the survey participants expressly stated that energy efficiency is important or very important to them. Looking at these figures, it is not surprising that the surveyed architects chose the topics of energy efficiency and peri-urban construction as the key themes for the sector in 2015.

If you agree with the 74 percent of survey participants who would like to have their own home, then visit Engel & Völkers. We specialise in the brokerage of high quality real estate that satisfies all requirements. You can draw on our many years of experience and our comprehensive network. We will help you find the property of your dreams.